During research for the November 2007 issue of InSights, it became clear that there is a high level of interest in the governance of sustainability on both sides of the Atlantic. Members of both networks are interested in what emerging best practice looks like on their own side of the ocean and on the other side too. Many companies are still struggling with defining sustainability for themselves and deciding what efforts to undertake and how to report back to their stakeholders. However, there is an emerging consensus that this topic will grow in importance in the future, with the main drivers of change identified in InSights (investors, consumers, and employees), along with those mentioned in the summit discussion (governments and NGOs), likely to continue to push for more sustainable business strategies, products, and services. Investors will increasingly look to board directors for reassurance that sustainability risks have been mitigated, that opportunities have been optimized, and that the company is seriously engaged in the effort.
Read the full paper, published by Tapestry Networks and Ernst & Young.